Arrangement for storing objects in separate storing spaces juxtaposited in pairs



Aug. 13, 1957 J. o. ISVEN I ARRANGEMENT FOR STORING OBJECTS IN SEPARATESTORING SPACES JUXTAPOSITED IN PAIRS Filed Feb. 20. 1956 2 Sheer s-Sheetl 7 3, 1957 o ISVEN 2,802,582

ARRANGEMENT FOR SLTORING OBJECTS IN SEPARATE STORING SPACES JUXTAPOSITEDIN PAIRS Filed Feb. 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States PatentARRANGEMENT FOR sronrNo OBJECTS. 1N

fili rklfigsTE STORING SPACES JUXTAPOSITED The present 'invention refersto an arrangement for the storing of objects in separate storingspacesjuxta posited in pairs, said spaces being mutually displaceable in adirection to and from each other.

The invention has for its object to provide for storing of objects ofvarious kinds in a number of separate spaces, in a manner such that thespace occupied for storing is utilized in the best manner, without theobjects becoming difiicultly accessible.

The invention is substantially distinguished by the feature that saidobjects and said store spaces are provided with interconnecting meansfor coupling the objects in the respective store spaces to the opposedstore space, in order to move an objectin one store space out of thelatter with the aid of the other store space, when the store spaces aremoved apart.

The invention is particularly suitable for storingwares and the like instock-rooms or for garaging motorcars stored in boxes, the floor surfacebeing thus utilized to .thegreatest extent.

A form of embodiment of the invention will be described hereinbelow inconnection with the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein Figs. 1and 2 show two store spaces pulled apart in elevation and viewed fromabove, respectively. Figs. 3 and 4 show the store spaces according toFigs. 1 and 2 viewed from the side and from above, respectively, saidspaces being here brought together. Figs. 5 and 6 show two spaces viewedfrom the side and from above, respectively, said spaces i being herepulled apart and having one object stored in the one space and anotherobject standing between the store spaces. Figs. 7 and 8 show the storespaces brought together with objects enclosed therein.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the store spaces are constitutedby two cabinets 1 and 2, wherein the stored objects consist of boxes 3and 4 respectively. The cabinets are of a square elongated shape withtheir one end wall open, and are placed in pairs with the end wallopenings facing one another. The cabinets are mutually displaceable inthe longitudinal direction, that is to say in parallel to thelongitudinal sides thereof, on a frame structure consisting of twolongitudinally extending rail-like beams 5 and 6 interconnected by meansof four transversely extending braces 7, 8, 9 and 10. In the example ofembodiment shown, the longitudinally extending beams 5, 6 have a lengthat least three times the length of a cabinet, so that the cabinets maybe moved apart so much that an intermediate space is obtained betweenthem, said space amounting at least to the length of a cabinet. Thecabinets are preferably moved with the aid of some mechanicalcontrivance (not shown), for instance by means of a hydraulic orpneumatic servomotor arranged in the end portion of the frame structureand having a piston rod acting directly on the cabinets, or by means ofropes or toothed racks driven by electric motors or the like. Thecabinets may also be provided with their own independent moving means.

Provided in the space between the pulled-apart cabi- 2,802,582 PatentedAug. 13, 1957 ice nets ,1, 2' in the plane of the .frame structure is aroller way for the conveyance of the boxes 3, 4 stored in the cabinets1, 2. The .roller way is constituted by a plurality of carrying rods or,shafts 11 extending between a pair of transverse braces 8, 9 inparallel to the longitudinal beams 5, 6 such rods or shafts being threein number in the example shown. A plurality of rollers 12 are rotatablyand at the ,same timedisplaceably mounted on the shafts 11. In thedrawing, three such rollers 12 are shown on each shaftll. The rollers 12on each shaft 11 are mutually connected by ropes or cable means (notshown), the end points of which are arranged in .the respective cabinets.1, 2, said ropes being so arranged that the rollers 12 will spreadalong theshafts 11 to take definitepositions, when theropes are broughtunder tension by the cabinetsl, 2 being moved apart. When the cabinets1, '2 are brought adjacent to each other, .the rollers 12 are broughttogether onto each other along the shafts 11 and are gathered within a.space between the cabinets, which is produced by corresponding recesses13, 14 in theopposed end portions of the cabinets. When the cabinets arepulled apart, a roller way is thus obtained, on, which a box.3 or 4 mayroll in a direction at right angles to the direction of displacement ofthe cabinets.

i The contrivance according to the invention is also provided with meansfor coupling the boxes 3, 4 to the cabinets 1,2, the coupling meansbeing arranged in such manner that. the box Sin the cabinet 1 is coupledto the corresponding-cabinet 2,, while the box 4 in the latter cabinetZis coupled to the first-mentioned opposed cabinet 1. The coupling means.areshown diagrammatically in Figs. 5 and 6.and;may consist of a hook15, which is swingably arranged in a cabinetor-aon an object inacabinetand provided with a recess 16 adapted to engage a pin 17ortthelike arranged on anothercabinet or on another object in a cabinet.Such'a hook 15 may thus be arranged on a cabinet and be adapted to belocked with a pin on an opposed cabinet or on an object in an opposedcabinet. The hook may also be arranged on an object in one cabinet andbe adapted to be locked to a pin on an object in an opposed cabinet.Such coupling means make it possible selectively either to bring alongthe box kept in the cabinet, or to leave said box standing in its place,by displacing one of the cabinets, said box being thus released from itscabinet to be rolled away on the roller way. These coupling means arepreferably made automatically operable, preferably in combination withthe operation of the means adapted to move the cabinets proper. Here, apush button operation may be made use of, for example, so that when acertain button is depressed, the box corresponding to this button isreleased and may be moved along the roller way. It may also be foundsuitable to cause the boxes themselves to perform operations for movingthe boxes between various units.

Figs. 5-8 illustrate the function of the above described arrangementaccording to the invention. In Figs. 5 and 6, the cabinets 1 and 2 arepulled apart with a box 3 standing on the spread-apart rollers 12 thatform a roller plane between the cabinets. A box 4 is housed within thecabinet 2. When the cabinet 2. is moved to the left in the figure towardthe cabinet 1, the box 3 standing between the cabinets is brought alongand moved into the cabinet 1, while the rollers 12 are at the same timebrought together and gathered in the spaces 13, 14 underneath thecabinets. The boxes 3 and 4 are then preferably coupled with therespective cabinets 2 and 1 with the aid of the hooks 15. Now, if thebox in Figs. 7 and 8 is again to be taken out of its cabinet 1, thecorresponding button is operated, the coupling means 15, 1'7

between the cabinet 1 and the opposing box 4 being then released and theservomotor pulling the cabinet 2 to the right in the figure, the box 3,which is still coupled to the cabinet 2, being thus brought along, untilit is in. its entirety pulled out from its cabinet 1 and'ma'y be rolleddown onto the now extended roller plane; If instead the box 4 in Figs. 7and 8 is to be taken "out of its cabinet 2, the corresponding button isdepressed, the coupling means 15, 17 of both cabinets with therespective boxes being then released and the servomotor pulling away thecabinet 2.at a simultaneous'spreading of the roller plane, the box 4then remaining in its place and being free to roll away on the rollerplane. Y

Many pairs of store spaces of cabinets may be placed side by side, acontinuous roller way being then obtained, when the cabinets of thediiferent pairs are pulled apart. This roller way may form a definiteangle to the horizontal plane, whereby a box placed on the roller waymay slide forward on the latter between the cabinets to a predeterminedcabinet, where the movement of the box may be caused to cease bysuitable means. When the box has been caused to stop, the cabinets arejuxtaposited, the box being then moved into its definite cabinet at thesame time.

The arrangement described above and shown in the drawings onlyconstitutes an example of embodiment of the invention, which may bevaried in its construction and details within the scope of the appendedclaims. Thus the store spaces may also be constituted byshelfcompartments for records or for store rooms or by boxes for keepingmotor cars on platforms in a garage. Instead of boxes, loading stoolsand the like may be made use of. The rollers serving as roller planesfor the boxes may be constituted by wheels, ball bearings or other meansforming carrying planes. In the drawings, only one pair of cabinets withappertaining boxes have been shown for convenience with a view toexplaining the invention, but obviously any number of cooperating storespaces arranged consecutively side by side and in a row behind oneanother can be combined, as desired.

- 4 What I claim is: 1. Apparatus for storing objects comprising aframe,

a pair of open-ended storage units movably secured to said frame, saidstorage units being arranged with the open ends facing each other andbeing adapted to receive one of the objects to be stored, means formutually displacing said storage units toward or away from each other onsaid frame, and roller means on said frame intermediate said storageunits, said roller meansjbeing arranged to receive transversely of theframe the object to be stored and being longitudinally expansible andcontractible on said frame in accordance with the positions of saidstorage units with respect to each other.

2. Storage apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means forconnecting the object to be stored with either of said storage units sothat the object may be stored in the other of said storage units.

3. Storage apparatus as'defined in claim 2 wherein said rollers arerotatably movable and axially slidable on shafts longitudinally mountedin said frame, and fur.- ther including cable means connecting saidrollers to said storage units to cause said roller means to expandlongitudinally as said storage units are movedapart and to contract assaid storage units are moved together.

4. Storage apparatus as defined in claim 3 including recessed portionsin adjacent lower portions of said storage units adapted to receive saidroller means when said storage units are moved together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS876,941 Callison: Jan. 21, 1908 1,394,999 McKinstry Oct. 25, 19211,422,663 Callison July 11, 1922 2,013,482 Taylor Sept. 3, 19352,031,392 Taylor Feb. 18, 1936 2,654,489 Ingold .Oct. '6, 1953

